European Commission selects five strategic projects in Romania for battery recycling and critical raw materials extraction

The European Commission has selected 46 new strategic projects for critical raw materials in 16 member states, including five in Romania, under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The projects aim to develop European extraction, processing and recycling capacities and reduce the Union’s dependence on external suppliers.

Two of the Romanian projects appear on the list approved in 2026. One, promoted by ECO LIFE STYLE SRL, concerns the construction of a battery recycling facility in Răcari, Dâmbovița County, to recover lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite. The other, developed by Verde Magnesium Industries SRL, aims to process metallic magnesium.

The 2025 list included the SALROM Baia de Fier project for the extraction of battery-grade graphite, the Rovina project and a project by Verde Magnesium SRL for the extraction of metallic magnesium.

The new projects add to the 47 selected in the European Union in March 2025 and the 13 from third countries approved in June 2025. In total, the Commission has designated 106 strategic projects in the EU. The CRMA, which entered into force on 23 May 2024, sets 2030 targets of 10% for domestic extraction, 40% for processing and 25% for recycling strategic raw materials.